End structure for plural cable connection



CI. AR K 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ATTOR EYS Sept. 22, 1964 R. B. CLARK END STRUCTURE FOR PLURAL CABLE CONNECTION Filed om. 1o, 1961 R I C H A RD Sept. 22, 1964 R. B. CLARK 3,150,231

ENO STRUCTURE FOR PLURAL CABLE CONNECTION Filed Oct. 1o, 1961 2 shams-sheet 2 HVVENTUR, RICHARD B. CLARK ATTORN YS United States This invention relates to a connector device, and more particularly relates to a connector for use between a sheathed electrical conductor and an electrical circuit device having a terminal to which the conductor is secured.

The invention has among its objects the provision of a novel, simple connector of the type indicated, the connector being particularly characterized by the ease with which it is assembled and disassembled.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of a connector device having a passage therethrough, the device being of such construction as to prevent the entry of water into the passage in the device.

Yet another object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved connector device incorporating means for effecting an hermetic seal between it and the ends of the one or more sheathed conductors connected thereto.

A still further object of the invention lies in the provision of a connector device having a passage therethrough as for the reception of conductors passing from cables to an electrical circuit device, the connector device being of such construction as to provide ready access to the conductors in the zone thereof between the cables and the circuit device.

The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

FIG. l is a view in longitudinal axial section through an illustrative connector device in accordance with the invention, a plurality of sheathed cables being shown secured to one end of the connector device, and a part of a separable electrical connector being shown attached to the other end thereof, certain of the parts being shown in elevation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in axial section through a lirst terminal fitting on a sheathed conductor, attached to the connector device of FIG. l, certain of the parts being shown in elevation;

FIG. 3 is a view in transverse section through the assembly of cable and first terminal fitting, the section being taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in elevation of an assembly of a cable and rst and second terminal ttings secured to the opposite ends thereof;

FIG. 5 is a view in longitudinal axial section through the assembly of the cable and second terminal fitting shown in FIG. 4, the section being taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4, certain of the parts being shown in elevation;

FIG. 6 is a view in transverse section through the assembly of the illustrative connector device and a plurality of cables, the section being taken along the line 6 6 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 7 is a view in transverse section through the assembly of FIGS. l and 6, the section being taken along the line 7 7 of FIG. l.

The connector device of the invention is useful in a number of applications. Among such uses is that in the ignition harness for a multi-cylinder piston engine, the

arent 3,150,215 l Fatented Sept. 22, 1964 connector device being interposed in the harness between the magneto and/ or distributor of the ignition system and the cables leading to the respective spark plugs of the cylinders. Ordinarily, such connector device is mounted immediately in the rear of the engine. Such device provides room for the assembler to Work in soldering or crimping the conductors of the cables to the contacts of the part of the separable electrical connector, and/ or to insert the contacts into such part of the separable electrical connector after they have been attached to the conductors of the respective cables.

It is necessary, to provide eihcient radio shielding, that the connector device maintain electrical continuity between the sheaths of the cables leading to the spark plugs and the shell of the part of the separable electrical connector to which they are connected. To prevent corona or other leal/rages, it is necessary that the sheaths of the cables be hermetically sealed despite their connection to the connector device. It is also highly important that water be prevented from entering the passage through the connector device, since such water might cause short circuits to occur between the cables leading to the various spark plugs of the engine.

Turning now to the drawings, the illustrative connector device of the invention is designated generally by the reference character lil. Such connector device is interposed between and connected to a part 11 of a separable electrical connector and the plurality of cables 12 of an ignition harness, such cables leading to the various spark plugs of an engine. A typical such cable is shown in FIG. 4, the end thereof remote `from its connection with device 1t? being provided with a part of a separable electrical connector generally designated 14, by which connection is made to its spark plug.

The connector part 11, which is adapted to be connected to a mating connector part and thence to the magneto and/ or distributor of the ignition system, is provided with a generally circular cylindrical hollow metal shell 15. Secured within shell 15 is an electrically insulating resilient rubber-like insert 16 in which are mounted a plurality of contact pins 17, 19. Connector part 11 is adapted to be secured to its mating connector part (not shown) by an internally threaded sleeve 2t) which is prevented from movement to the right with respect to shell 15 by engagement between an annular flange 21 on the shell and the radially inwardly directed flange on the end of sleeve 2li.

The rear end of shell 15 is telescoped within a passage 22 in a disc-like end plate 24 of connector device 1li, parts 15 and 24 being connected and sealed together as by being brazed. Member 24 is externally threaded as shown at 25 whereby to be secured to the end of an outer sleeve 34 of device 1t). Device 1t) is provided With a second end plate 26, and plates 24 and Z6 taken with sleeve 34 enclose a passage or space 27 through which the conductors from the respective cables 12 pass on their way to the contact pins 17, 19 of connector device 11. In the embodiment shown, each of cables 12 has a central conductor such as a multi-strand wire 29, the Wire being provided with an insulating sheath 30 thereabout. Each of the insulated conductors is provided with an insulating sleeve 31 within space 2.7, theconductors then passing through openings in a rubber-like grommet plate 32 positioned within passage 27 and abutting end plate 21'. The insulated conductors 30 sealingly engage grommet 32, and grommet 32 sealingly engages end plate 26. There is thus provided an hermetic seal between each insulated conductor 3i) and the end plate 26.

End plate 26 is in turn sealed to shell or sleeve 34 by means of an O-ring 36 made of rubber-like material, such O-ring being disposed within an annular groove 35 in the periphery of end plate 26. The aforesaid threads te 25 on end plate 24 are accurately received within internal threads 37 on the end of sleeve 34. In orderto prevent the entry of water droplets between the threads 25 and 37, and thence into space 27, as might otherwise happen 'under the propeller blast of the engine, thereis provided means establishing a seal between the threads at at least one peripheral location thereof, in order to break upthe otherwise continuous although minute passage between `the threads. In the embodiment shown, such sealing means is provided by a plug 39 o f plastically deformable and resilientl material snugly received within a radiallyV formed so that it conforms to the shape of threads 37 andV has sealing engagement therewith. The resilience or plastic memory of Vplug 3,9 insures tight sealing engagement between it and threads 37.

Positioned between end plates 24 Yand 26ais a generally circular cylindrical hollow spacer member made up of two identical halves 4,1, 42. Such halves of the spacer member' abut at an interface 44, the edges thereof being yshown attthe bottom in FIGS. '6 and 7. As shown in FIGS. l and 7, a spacer pin 45, snugly positioned in a bore 46 in the innerface of end plate 24, extends part way into the space 2,7. Y A similar spacer pin 47, positioned in a bore 49 in end plate member26, lies coaxial of and confronting pin 45. The grommet plate 32 has a notch or gro'ove'Sil in the edge thereof through which pin 47 extends. The spacer halves 41, 42 have one end thereof positioned in an annular seat 51 at the radially outer edge of end plate member 24, and have the other ends of the spacer halves received in a similar annular seat 52 in end halves positioned in seats 51 and 52, and with their edges in contact at interface'44, the upper edges of the respective spacer halves lie 4on opposite sides of pins 45 and 47.

The terminal fittings secured to cables 12, by means of which the cables are secured and sealed to connector device 1G, are generally designated by the reference character 54. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, terminal fitting 54 h as an axially extending shank 55 which is externally threaded a't 56. Y Shank 55 extends into an axially directed passage in end plate 26, threads 56 on the shank engaging threads 5'7 in the passage in member 26. Axially outwardly 4beyond threads 56 on shank 55 the shank is provided with an annular seat 59 which receives a sealing O-ring 6h. When the terminal tting 54 is screwed into the passage in member 26, the O-ring 6i! effects a seal between'the 'terminal yfitting and the member 26. A spring washer 61, disposed between a shoulder on the terminal fitting and'member 26, insures the maintenance of such seal despite engine vibration.

Terminal fitting 54 is of a type wherein the sheath surrounding the insulated conductor isconnected and sealed thereto by crimped connecting means generally designated 62. Fitting S4 is provided with an axially exlnding radially inner sleeve or Spud 64v which' is telescoped within the inner layer 65 of Athe conduit sheath. In this instance, layer 65`is inthe form of a liquid-impervious plastic tube made, for example, of Teflon Surrounding tube 65 is a'radio-shieldingouter sheath 68 made up lof an inner layer of wire braid designated 66 and an outer layer of wire braid 67 Overlying the outer sheath 67, and filling the interstices betwe'enthe wires of layers 66 and 67 is a coating '69 of liquid-impervious plastic material such as thatdisclosed and claimed in'the application of Harald Mainusch,-Serial No. 146,177, filed October 19, 1961.l

i The crimped connection 6,2 is formed by an outer sleeve 7 0 which is securedl to the body of terminal fitting 54 at one end thereof by an annular weld 71. TheV sleeve 70 is crimped at six angularly spaced Zones to form valleys 72 and peaks '74 in the sleeve '70 at the crimping zone. Such crimped connection is'likewise morefully disclosed inthe above-referred-to Mainusch application.

The second terminal fitting, designated 14 and shown in FGS. 4 and 5, has a metal shell within which is secured an insert 76. A contact pin 77 is secured to the end of conductor 29. Fitting 14 is connected to the end of the sheath about the conductor by a crimped connecting means, generally designated 75, which may be similar to that described in connection with FIG. 2. Terminal fitting 14 is secured to aY separable connector part, which may be connected to the housing shell of a spark plug by a ysleeve-like nut 79.

In makingthe assembly shown in FlG. 1, the sleeve 34 is 'telescoped over the cables, but is slid to the left of the l position shown in FIG. l. The conductors 29 andthe insulation 36 thereof of the respective cables are cut to the required length. The terminal fittings 54 are then screwed into end plate member 26 in 'the position shown. Connection is made between the bared ends of conductors 29 and contact pins 17, 19, following which the subassembly of connector part 11 and end plate member 24 is presentedgso that the contact pins 17, 19. maybe inserted in insert 16. The spacer halves 41, 42 are now positioned in the seats 51, 52 in the position shown in FiG. 6, the lower edges lof' the spacer halves in engagement at interface 44 and the upper edges thereof lying on the opposite sides of pins 45 and 47. The sleeve 34 is then advanced to the right and is screwed tightly onto the end plate member 24. Turning of the shell 34 by hand is facilitated by the provision of a hand grip in the form of deep longitudinal serrations 34' on the outer surface of the shell. Engagement between the spacer halves 41, 42 and Vthe pins 45, 47 prevents relative rotation between the end plate members 24, 26 while the s leeve 34 is thus screwed onto its final tightened position.

Although only one embodiment ofthe invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings Vand described in the foregoing specification, it is to be expressly understood that various changes, such as in the relative dimensions of the parts, materials used, and the like, as well as the suggested manner of use of the apparatus of the invention, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a conductor having a sheath, an electrical circuit device having a terminal to which the conductor is secured, and a connecting device comprising a first plate, means securing the end of the sheath to the first plate, a second plate positioned spaced from and generally parallel to the first plate, the circuit device being secured to the second plate, the conductor extending through the first plate, into ythe space between lthe two plates, and to the terminal onrthe circuit device, and means connecting the plates in said spaced, generally parallel position, said last named means comprising spacer means in the form of a sleeve substantially surrounding the portion of the conductor lying between the plates, the sleeve being generally longitudinally split, whereby it may be assembled about the assembled conductor lying between the plates, the sleeve being positioned between the yplates in abutting relationship'therewith, means on the plates interengaging with the sleeve to prevent relative rotation of the plates, and means selectively connecting the plates and holding them against the spacer means, and providing lateral access between the plates.

2. The combination as claimed in claim l, wherein the sleeve is made of a plurality of generally mating longitudinally extending elements which together form a generally circular cylindrical sleeve.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2, wherein the means on the plates interengaging with the sleeve comprises a longitudinally extending projection on each plate,

the projections extending within the space between the plates and between at least two of the confronting edges of the mating elements forming the sleeve.

4. The combination of a conductor, an electrical circuit device having a terminal to which the conductor is secured, and a connecting device comprising a rst plate, a second plate positioned spaced from and generally parallel to and aligned with the rst plate, the circuit device being secured to the second plate, the conductor extending through the rst plate, into the space between the two plates, and to the terminal on the circuit device, the plates being in the form of circular discs, a rst sleeve substantially surrounding the portion of the conductor lying between and abutting the plates, the first sleeve being generally longitudinally split, whereby it may be assembled about the assembled conductor lying between the plates, and means connecting the plates in said spaced, generally parallel, and aligned position and holding them against the ends of the first sleeve, the last named means comprising a second sleeve surrounding the plates, the space therebetween, and the first sleeve, the second sleeve being freely rotatable With respect to one plate, means for limiting movement of the second sleeve with respect to the one plate toward the other plate, and interengaging threads on the second sleeve andthe said other plate.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 4, wherein a portion of the threads on at least one of the members consisting of the other plate and the sleeve are formed in an insert made of elastically deformable plastic material positioned in said one member, the threads on said plastic insert strongly resiliently engaging the threads on the other of said members.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 4, comprising confronting seats on the plates receiving the respective ends of the rs't sleeve to position the rst sleeve relative to the plates.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 6, wherein the rst sleeve is made of a plurality of generally mating longitudinally extending elements which together form a generally circular cylindrical sleeve.

8. A connector as claimed in claim 7, comprising means on the plates which interengage with the rst sleeve to prevent relative rotation between the plates.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,060,745 Pettee Nov. 10, 1936 2,539,887 Boots Ian. 30, 1951 2,605,315 Hargett July 29, 1952 2,937,228 Robinson May 17, 1960 3,054,848 Reesby et al Sept. 18, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 676,872 Germany June 14, 1939 242,017 Switzerland Sept. 2, 1946 

1. THE COMBINATION OF A CONDUCTOR HAVING A SHEATH, AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT DEVICE HAVING A TERMINAL TO WHICH THE CONDUCTOR IS SECURED, AND A CONNECTING DEVICE COMPRISING A FIRST PLATE, MEANS SECURING THE END OF THE SHEATH TO THE FIRST PLATE, A SECOND PLATE POSITIONED SPACED FROM THE GE 